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CHC Celebrates a Gala Event in May

CHC Celebrates a Gala Event in May

Posted: July 11, 2015

The Rotunda and Sorgenti Arena were transformed for one magical night in May as 340 friends of Chestnut Hill College celebrated its 90th anniversary as part of the annual Scholarship Gala. This year, 32 alumni also were honored as they were inducted into theLibris Society.

As Sister Carol Jean Vale, SSJ, Ph.D., president, made her welcoming remarks, she reminded the guests of the many decades of tradition and risk undertaken by the Sisters of Saint Joseph and all the faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends who have spent time on the College grounds.

“We gather tonight for a party to celebrate 90 years of history. When the Sisters of Saint Joseph established the College in 1924, they undertook a bold and daring venture, but they saw a need and did what they always do — they responded.”

She continued by outlining the many changes that have taken place on the campus including the acquisition and renovation of SugarLoaf that effectively doubled the size of the campus; the addition of men to the student roster, which has nearly doubled the size of the student body; the building of two new buildings; and the transition from NCAA Division III to Division II.

None of the changes could have happened without the dedication and commitment of all of CHC’s friends and supporters, many of whom were in attendance.

Dozens of bouquets of colorful blooms adorned the rooms, thanks to Willow & Thistle of Blue Bell; Chartwell’s provided a delicious cocktail hour and dinner of Chilean sea bass and braised short ribs; and the dance floor was full from beginning to end, with guests dancing to the music of “All About Me.”

The fundraising portion of the evening was a great success, with all 100 golden boxes in the Tower of Treasures sold to benefit CHC’s scholarship program. The student auction — in which guests bid on prizes including a semester of scholarship aid, funds to pay for room and board, money to cover lab fees and more — exceeded expectations.

At the end of the formal portion of the event, 32 alumni were presented with the Libris Award and a silver pin that commemorates the lives they live; lives fashioned around the values they polished at CHC, those of Fides. Caritas. Scientia. (Faith-Charity-Knowledge) and honed since their graduation.

“The alumni I meet as I travel the country are eloquent testimony to the superlative education they received here,” said Sister Carol just before presenting the awards.

“Time and again, I find myself engaged in conversation with informed, critical thinkers, whose knowledge is integrated and expansive. As I listen, I inevitably discover their dedication to serving worthy causes in their communities even as they spend quality hours with family and friends, deepening important relationships and providing support as needed. Tonight we highlight some of these very successful women and men by inducting them into the Libris Society.”